News: Research

Read the latest news from the College of Natural Sciences at The University of Texas at Austin

Research

“Rival” Neutrino Experiments NOvA and T2K Publish First Joint Analysis

The results add to physicists’ understanding of neutrinos and validate collaboration between major experiments.

A large, multistory space like a warehouse houses giant scientific machinery with surrounding balconies for scientists and engineers to observe

McDonald Observatory

Tiny Galaxy, Big Find: Black Hole Discovered in Nearby Segue 1

Students discovered a surprise in the heart of a nearby dwarf galaxy.

White dots sprinkled around a black background represent stars and galaxies, including the unusual dwarf galaxy Segue 1.

Research

A New Tool for Healthcare Gives Better Outbreak Forecasts

Pinpointing an outbreak’s peak, the approach can boost health systems’ preparedness and risk communication.

A graph shows a line curving up to a peak and then decaying away

Research

New Gene-Editing Tech Holds Promise for Treating Complex Genetic Diseases

Advanced biotechnology repurposes two bacterial immune systems to correct large stretches of DNA.

A microscope image shows human cells. There are two blue spheres in the center, surrounded by a green structure, with orange dots scattered around the green structure.

Research

Vulnerable Salamanders, Key to Healthy Ecosystems, a Focus in Two Studies

A pair of studies from UT Austin offer insights into these keystone species.

Image of two salamanders.

Oden Institute

Born Together: A New Look at Binary Stars

A new study involving astronomer Stella Offner manages to pierce the universe’s dark, hazy cosmos for a glimpse at infant stars in relationship.

A pair of pinkish molecular clouds dotted with bursts of light in space represent star-forming activity.

Research

Extreme, Prolonged Drought Slashes Productivity of Grasslands, Shrublands

Research published in the journal Science on water-deprived plants involved Texas Field Station Network experts.

A rain-out shelter at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. It consists of clear plastic strips supported by metal arms and legs several feet above a plot of open grassland.

UT Marine Science Institute

New Study Pinpoints Texas as a Source of Nurdle Pollution to Mexico

A novel analysis combined chemistry and ocean modeling to reveal a likely source of nurdle pollution on coastlines.

A man on a sandy beach wearing glasses holds a sampling bottle and tweezers in a gloved hand, displaying a discovery of tiny pellets.

McDonald Observatory

A Cosmic Puzzle: Phosphine Found in One Brown Dwarf, Missing in Others

The explosive compound forms naturally in the atmospheres of Jupiter and Saturn, but on Earth it is also a byproduct of anaerobic life.

Illustration of the Wolf 1130ABC triple system, composed of the red dwarf star Wolf 1130A, its close and compact white dwarf companion Wolf 1130B, and the distant brown dwarf tertiary Wolf 1130C. The three components of this system are shown scaled to their relative sizes. Image credit: Adam Burgasser, UCSD.

Research

More Dark Star Candidates Found in JWST Data

A growing list of dark star candidates could help explain why some early galaxies were so big, so early in the universe.

The background shows the blackness of space, dotted with colorful stars and galaxies. In a pullout box at the top left, an arrow points to a fuzzy red blob shaped like a jelly bean. A label reads JADES-GS-z14-0.